1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a substrate for mounting electronic components having a plurality of electrical contacts along an edge of the substrate, and particularly relates to a substrate having a plurality of pairs of spaced holes surrounded by conductive paths along an edge of the substrate. More particularly, the invention relates to a substrate for mounting electronic components on one side of the substrate, having uniformly spaced terminals along an edge on opposite sides of the substrate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Substrates for mounting electronic components, e.g. printed circuit boards, are well known in the prior art. Such substrates or circuit boards have conductive paths thereon interconnecting a plurality of electronic components. Some of the conductive paths terminate along an edge of the substrate to provide terminals which are plated or cladded with a corrosion resistant metal or metal alloy for removably inserting the terminals in a receptacle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,461 describes a method of cladding the conductive paths along an edge of a printed circuit board. Alternatively, a separate terminal may be formed from strip metal and bent about an edge of a circuit board, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,188, wherein a strip is bent in a U-form having a tongue for insertion through a hole in the circuit board and engagement with the strip on the other side of the board. A similar contact is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,065, wherein the contact is formed of strip metal and bent about an edge of a circuit board, through a first opening and into a hole provided in the board surrounded by a conductive path on the board. A circuit board having a pair of spaced holes, inward of an edge of the circuit board, and a terminal for connecting wires to the conductive paths on the board is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,336,561. A contact device having circuit wires looped into and anchored within holes formed in a substrate is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,069,599. An electrical component mounting wherein a component wire lead with a U-shaped offset is inserted in an elongated opening is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,052. A circuit board having first and second circuit patterns on opposite sides and terminals along an edge of the circuit board on opposite sides is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,020,510.
The improved substrate of the present invention having a plurality of uniformly spaced terminals on opposite sides of the substrate along an edge of the substrate can be readily distinguished from the prior art terminals. The uniformly spaced terminals on opposite sides of the substrate provide twice the contact density of terminals folded over the edge of the substrate. Further, the terminals are distinguished by their geometrical configuration wherein a narrow tail provides for higher density connections to closely spaced conductive paths on one side of the substrate, while the wide contacts on opposite sides along an edge of the substrate provide a sufficient contact area for reliable pluggable insertion in a conventional receptacle. The geometrical configuration permits mounting contacts on the same centers on opposite sides of the substrate.